EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The UW-Eau Claire men's basketball team led the entire game and finished with a 75-62 victory over the UW-Oshkosh Titans tonight at Zorn Arena.

Eau Claire came in to the night tied for fourth place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with the Titans but is now alone in fourth with a 6-6 conference record. The Blugolds also improve to 12-8 overall while Oshkosh falls to 11-10 on the season and 5-7 in WIAC play. Earlier this year the Blugolds fell short against the Titans in a closely contested battle by a score of 91-84 in overtime.

While the Blugolds never trailed, Oshkosh kept the game close, never allowing the Blugolds to reach a double-digit lead until the final six minutes of the game. Eau Claire got up by as much as eight in the first but Oshkosh closed the gap to one three times in the half.

In the second half Oshkosh kept the game close for the first three minutes, closing to within one two more times but the Blugolds would stay strong and begin to pull away. The closest the Titans were able to get the rest of the way was three and the Blugolds reached their largest lead of the game, 15 points, with just under three minutes to go after a 14-3 run. The Blugolds would stay up by at least nine the rest of the way and ended with a 13-point victory.

The Blugolds shot well on the evening, going 60.9 percent from the floor in the second half and 48.3 in the first for an overall of 53.8 percent for the game (28-for-52). Oshkosh finished shooting 46.9 percent (23-for-49). Eau Claire also went 13-for-18 from the line (72.2 percent) but the Titans shot 82.4 percent (14-for-17). Oshkosh also edged the Blugolds in rebounding with 30 to the Blugolds' 25, but Eau Claire finished with only eight turnovers while the Titans had 12.

Dan Beyer (Sr.-Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) led the way for the Blugolds tonight with 21 points and nine rebounds. Three others reached double-figures, led by Geoff Probst (Jr.-Moose Lake, Minn.) and Ryan Shea (So.-Duluth, Minn./East) who each scored 15. Josh Prince (Fr.-Cadott, Wis./Chippewa Falls) added 13 points. Colin Boone (Jr.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) led the contest with six assists while Prince led both teams with four steals.

Oshkosh's D.J. Marsh, who leads the conference in rebounding and is fifth in scoring this season, led the game with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Dane Seckar-Anderson finished with 13 points and Cory Wittwer added 12.

The Blugolds will be on the road this weekend for another conference game against UW-River Falls. Earlier this season Eau Claire defeated the Falcons 76-73 in Zorn Arena. Saturday's game is set for 3 p.m.

Eau Claire-Oshkosh Box Score

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